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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Structures In Low-Sec - Random Speculation

The high-level concept ideas shown at Fanfest and in this Dev Blog have got a lot of players talking. Mostly this is about how they will destroy WH space. Well its on the internet, it must be true.

I've been thinking about my space, low-sec, and how they may change our scenery. Obviously I don't know anything more than the next player. We are far too early in development to have any concrete plans so this is all wild speculation. CCP have already said the various structures, different sizes and services are likely to be linked to security status. For example, here are two examples I've heard that I think we will not see.

Goons setting up a XL office with market next to Jita and buying ALL THE THINGS in Jita 4-4 then reselling at a mark-up at their structure next door.
That is some quality Tinfoil-Hatting. Taking the extremely unlikely scenario that CCP will allow XL Office Arrays and Local Markets in high-sec and topped with a nice sprinkling of "Grrrrrrrr Goons".

I think we'll see some things that are not allowed in hi-sec but won't have access to the full range like null-sec will. For example I think we'll have offices available, but not sure about hangers. Within faction war this would be a powerful mechanic for system capture.

A brief run through of my thoughts on structures and low-sec.

Assembly Array
Yes, pretty sure we'll see these in low-sec. I expect to see a bonus to using them over high-sec and low-sec NPC facilities but they'll be more expensive than the null-sec equivalent. I imagine you'll not see super-capitals being produced in the low-sec versions however I wouldn't rule that out 100%. Super production could be allowed, it would just be hideously expensive. Who wants to make a titan in low-sec when it costs 50% more than in null? Another route might be you'll need an XL array for super production and they might set it so the biggest assembly array you can anchor in low-sec is only a large (for building carriers and dreads)? Finally there may be a super-capital construction "service" that needs to be fitted to the array and that module is tied to null only.

Labs
Again I think we'll see these and the same balance as above. They'll be better than high-sec and NPC low-sec stations but they will not be as good as null-sec facilities. Risk vs reward will flow this way although I think that many areas in null are significantly safer than low-sec. You stick your lab in Tama or Amamake and it'll be at more risk than a Goon structure in the middle of CFC space.

Market and Offices
Now we get a bit more tricky. As I already mentioned the ability to have a serviced hanger would be a very powerful mechanic in faction war. You could restrict anchoring of structures to the militia that controls the system but people would just use alts. I think we'll see something in this line of arrays for low, but I expect that the services that can be offered to be severely restricted. However they could open up some systems for "colonization". Teimo is a back-water, dead-end system off Kedama without a station. Only reason to go there currently is for faction war plexing. May be a corporation who has the cahoona's to run the Tama camps might want to base from there after they can anchor a "mini-station". Of course Snuff will turn up and kill it eventually, but its an option!

Drilling
We'll certainly see these at least for moon goo. Same as above with risk vs reward. Refining and reprocessing will be better than high-sec and NPC low-sec facilities but not as good as null.

Observation Arrays
A tricky one! On one hand low-sec is still Empire space so they are unlikely to allow those. However, as per CCP trailers "the Empires are losing their grip on power....". The cloaky identifier has a lot less use in low-sec as we don't have the carebears moaning about AFK-cloakers. Would be funny to see Tama and Amamake on the starmap with zero kills in the last hour!

Gates
I'd be shocked to see these in low-sec in any real way. With gate structures, CCP implied they weren't just talking about the large stargates but also pirate gates, acceleration gates and even potential replacements for jump bridge networks. I doubt low-sec will have much choice in these. May be there will be some anchorable in low, it just may be a limited number of small pirate gates. Generally I expect this set of structures to be mostly null-sec and the "new space" (and no, I very much doubt WH space will see them).

Admin
A form of Admin Array will be available for low-sec to replace the iHub and as I recall POCOs? We can expect faction war to switch over to entosis links for iHub capture whilst maintaining the plexing mechanics... for now.

Advertisement
Yes, I think we'll see these in an around low-sec. Corporation adverts will likely be common replacing the good old anchored can. I would also suspect we'll see corporations living in a system to tell people "This is our turf boy! Come at us bro!". The old "plant a flag" many low-sec groups have been asking for over the last few years roundtables. Doesn't physically do much, just a bit of epeen shaking.

So that's my take on structures and low-sec. Given the early stage we are at, all the above is wild speculation. Then again what would the Eve community be like without wild speculation!

1 comment:

You might be significantly overestimating how many limits CCP is going to put on the new structures.

I realise that 'null gets everything, high gets only the weakest version' would fit the pattern we've seen previously, but this suggests that the devs aren't thinking that way this time round: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=5612368#post5612368

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